Someone Who Listens
by Percyjacksonfan3
Summary: The Giant War is over and everyone is at Camp Jupiter to figure out what's going to happen next. Everyone is happy and safe and yet Leo still feels like he's alone. Luckily there's another demigod who's feeling something similar and is willing to listen. Leyna one-shot! Don't like, don't read.


**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Leo is amazing and there is no way I would have been able to come up with him or any of Rick's other characters.**

It was a calm, quiet night and Leo couldn't help but feel restless.

Sleeping in the 5th Cohort just felt wrong. Even though the Greeks and Romans were like best friends now, Leo still wasn't 100% comfortable with being at Camp Jupiter. It wasn't the Romans, it was more... Leo had nothing here he wanted to stay for. He wanted to go somewhere he would enjoy, somewhere he felt like he should be.

He had no reason to feel that way. All of his friends were here, and Camp Half-Blood's campers and Chiron had kind of made their way to Camp Jupiter after the defeat of the Giants and everyone was still deciding what would happen now. The gods had been there only a few days earlier and had made it clear that they didn't want to push their luck with merging the campers.

But they hadn't exactly forbidden it either, so it was taking a while for everyone to figure out what to do.

Leo had been called to all meetings, being one of the 7 demigods who had helped defeat Gaea, but he hadn't said much. Mostly he had nodded along when Jason and Percy suggested people could choose where they wanted to go and just agreed with whatever he was asked.

Piper and Frank had seemed to be doing the same thing. Leo had had more than one silent conversation with each of them during the meetings and ultimately they had still decided on nothing.

It was crazy.

So Leo was overwhelmed with thoughts bouncing around his head as he tried to fall asleep.

It wasn't exactly his idea of fun.

He kicked his blankets off his legs and pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He would go for a walk, try and clear his head.

As he walked out he noticed that Jason and Piper were holding hands as they slept. Piper's bed was right in front of Jason's bed and they were facing each other head to head instead of head to feet. It looked like they had fallen asleep talking, as they so often did these days.

He passed Hazel and Frank who were both sleeping peacefully, although Frank was snoring like one of those bears he could change into. And as he walked he noticed that Annabeth and Percy weren't in their bunks at all.

Since they had come out of Tartarus the couple had been nearly inseparable. It had been days until they had been able to stop jumping at every little thing and it had been months before they stopped jumping all together. Afterwards Percy had trained all the time, always saying he never wanted to be as weak and helpless as he had been down there ever again. Annabeth had sparred with him. She hadn't appeared to change too much except she hardly laughed anymore. The only one who made her laugh was Percy.

And Leo knew they still had nightmares about that place. And he knew that while they had been on the Argo II Percy and Annabeth had spent more nights together. They hadn't been caught, like that one time, so Coach Hedge hadn't really been able to get mad at them again, but Leo and the rest of the crew all knew they did. He didn't think they 'did' anything but it made him sad to think that his friends couldn't sleep alone anymore.

Or maybe they just never wanted to be separated again. Leo wasn't really sure.

And neither of them had shared what they had been through down there. All Leo knew was that they had been attacked and tricked multiple times and they were scarred for life.

It wasn't a pleasant thing to see.

Wherever they were, they were together. Leo was certain. And right now he wasn't really in the mood to interrupt them kissing or talking.

So he went for a walk. It was light enough from the moon and stars that he didn't trip on anything and he could see the paths clearly enough.

It was warm, there was no wind. Leo wouldn't have needed a jacket anyways, what with his super awesome fire powers.

He didn't go far. He just walked down the path heading to Temple Hill for a while before spotting a figure sitting just beside the bridge the went over the Little Tiber leading to Temple Hill. When he walked closer he saw it was a girl.

He must have been louder than he thought because suddenly the person tensed and jumped up faster than Leo would have thought possible. When she turned around Leo was met with the fierce face of Reyna.

"Leo?" She said incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He said back. "Mind if I sit with you."

She studied him warily before nodding.

They sat in slightly awkward silence, just watching the Tiber and Leo kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

He and Reyna had a complicated relationship, at least that was how Leo felt anyways. She laughed at his jokes a lot and Leo knew he was definitely attracted to this girl, but all of their interactions had been with other people around. Slightly less awkward than when it was just them.

He tried to think of something to say, something cool and casual, but his mind came up blank. Once again his people skills failed him.

Yeah, he thought to the sky, thanks again for that, Dad.

Luckily, Reyna seemed to think of something. She turned to him and smiled, albeit a bit awkward and forced looking. "Do you usually wander around in the middle of the night?"

He shook his head. "No. I couldn't sleep tonight. Too many thoughts up her," he tapped his head.

She nodded and didn't say anything else. She knew what that was like, Leo was sure.

They sat in silence again before Reyna met his eyes again. "What was it like, being on the quest?"

Leo was surprised at her question, and he though about his answer carefully before speaking. "It was the best and worst experience of my life. It was confusing and frustrating and half the time one of us was fighting some monster. I was tired practically all the time and when Percy and Annabeth fell into Tartarus I was angry. But I had my friends with me, so sometimes it was actually fun."

"Why," he asked when he was done explaining. "Did you want to go?"

Reyna shrugged and looked at the raging water in front of them. Leo thought she wouldn't answer when her voice suddenly sounded in the silence. "I don't know. I mean... Percy and Jason were already famous demigods before. Annabeth too I suppose. Now they're going to be known as the demigod who united the camps, and you and the rest of the Seven will be known as the demigods who fought in the war and won. The ones who defeated all those giants and closed the Doors of Death."

Leo frowned. "But all of the demigods fought in the war."

"Yes. But that would be so many names to remember for generations to come. Percy, Annabeth, Jason, you, Piper, Frank and Hazel... even Nico will be remembered because of the part he played. The rest of us.. we're just demigods who helped their friends along the way. Or the ones who'll be remembered as wanting to attack each other at the time when we needed to unite the most." Reyna's voice was sad. "I lost so many good soldiers in that war, so many friends and companions. No one will remember them except their families and friends. But you guys... People will remember you as the strongest demigods of our age who won the war for us."

Leo looked down and couldn't come up with an answer. Reyna let her words sink in before asking another question. "Do you miss being on a quest?"

He frowned at her. "After everything I said do you think I would miss it?"

She just looked at him. "Do you?"

He rubbed his arm before answering. "Yeah, I miss it. It was the only time I felt as if I was someone at least a little bit important. And at least I had a purpose, something to do."

Reyna smiled slightly at him. "I've never been on a quest."

Again, Leo was filled with surprise. "How do you become Praetor if you've never been on a quest?"

She shrugged. "Jason was the one who stormed Mount Othrys and defeated Krios, the Titan. They made him Praetor for it. I was kind of like Jason's second in command and I was made a Praetor for commanding all of the Cohorts alongside him. We were raised together. We were praetors together. And then he left me."

A silence followed and Leo saw Reyna flush from her own words. As Jason's friend Leo couldn't really say anything, but he couldn't help but feel jealous of Jason. He had been leader of a camp, he had a girl who had so obviously liked him and he defeated a Titan. Was there anything he didn't have?

Leo, being the ADHD person he was, found his thoughts straying back to Reyna. How would Jason not fall for her? She was pretty amazing, really cute, and the way she was so fierce and tough on the outside but inside was so emotional... it was making Leo like her even more.

"Ask me a personal question." He said abruptly to stop his mind from wandering in that direction.

Reyna frowned. "What?"

"Ask me something personal." Leo said, voice hesitant.

He didn't know what he was doing, he didn't know why, but suddenly... he just wanted someone to talk to. Really talk to. Someone who would understand, and wouldn't judge him. It had been so long since he had talked to someone like a normal friend and he wanted it to last. Isn't that what friends did? Tell each other personal things and help each other through them.

Reyna studied him for a minute before finally asking. "What's your mother like?"

Leo internally winced. His mother... what could he say about her? "She was the best person in the world. She never got angry at me and she was always willing to let me help her. She taught me so much and deserved to have a much better life than the one she did have." Leo looked down. "She had this smile, a smile that would light up a whole room, and she laughed a lot. And she would get thisShe always laughed at my jokes. She was my best friend."

Reyna met his eyes when he looked up. "How did she die?"

He shifted on his feet and looked away from her. "It was a ... fire. Something Gaea did to try and break me so I wouldn't fight her." Leo closed his eyes and tried to push back the guilt that was once again spreading through him, like a poison.

As if Reyna could tell what he was thinking she touched his hand lightly. "Leo, no matter what anyone had told you, no matter what you think, it's not your fault your mother died."

Leo met her eyes, wanting the stupid tears in his eyes to disappear. "How would you know?" He didn't really mean for his words to come out that harsh but he couldn't seem to make his voice any more gentle.

Reyna stared into his eyes fiercely, trying to get him to see... something. "Because anyone who loved someone as much as you obviously loved your mom would never do anything to hurt that person."

He sighed. "But she died in a fire. Reyna... I'm a fire-user. That's just a sick, twisted joke."

"Gaea was behind it, and she was trying to hurt you in the worst way possible. She probably knew how powerful you are with your gift and wanted to try and do anything she could to make sure you never used it." Reyna's eyes probed his and Leo felt a little uncomfortable because it seemed like she saw everything he was trying to hide. "Leo, none of it was your fault. The only thing you did to your mom was love her and from what you've told me she loved you too. A lot."

"Reyna-"

"And now that the war is over you can go and live your life. Become a mechanic or invent something... find a girl. You can do all of that. You could go back to your Camp and train. You will forever be known as one of the demigods who took part in the greatest quest in history." Reyna said.

"I'll never be put in the same sentence as Percy or Jason, or even Annabeth. The rest of them.. they had skills, and talent. What am I good for? Fixing a machine and setting things on fire?" Leo wasn't sure why he was telling Reyna his deepest secrets but he was sure he could trust her. She seemed like someone who would understand.

"From what Jason's told me you're his best friend." Seeing that Leo was about to interrupt she went on. "I'm not finished. Jason's told me about all the things you've done and Annabeth's told me how smart you are with anything to do with mechanisms. And Percy... for someone who likes water so much he couldn't stop talking about your fire powers and he said it was nice to have someone else with a similar sense of humor. Piper can't say enough good things about you and Frank, despite being slightly afraid of you, seems to think you're one of his best friends. Every time I mention you to Hazel she smiles so bright you'd think I would be blinded and tells me that no one deserves someone who loves them more than you. So you see, they all seem to think you're pretty amazing. In fact, I think everyone does." Reyna smiled at him.

"I just... I've been alone. Ever since my mom died I've had no one. Even my family didn't want me." Leo meant for his voice to sound bitter, but really all it sounded was sad. "Then I met Piper and Jason and for a while it was great. It's still great I guess... but now that they're dating..." He looked down and ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "Maybe I just don't belong with anyone."

Reyna studied him for a second, Leo could feel her eyes on him but he didn't look up. So that was why he started when she hesitantly placed a hand on his arm, stilling the hand that was in his hair.

He looked up, and in her eyes there was something warm and eveloping. For a second Leo had gotten past her cold, emotionless barrier and she was letting him glimpse what was purely Reyna.

"My sister and I got dumped off at Circe's Island." Her voice was quiet but Leo heard every word. "We were happy there, for a while. But what we were doing... it wasn't right. Not really. Circe taught us that men looked down on all women, that they didn't respect us just because we were born female." Reyna looked out over the grassy hill and then met his eyes again. "She lied to us. Percy and Annabeth... well they set us free in a way. They released some pirates- Blackbeard and his crew- and escaped. The only reason Hylla and I survived was because our mother is Bellona, a war goddess. Otherwise..." She trailed off and shuddered. "Anyways we somehow made our way out of there and sailed from the Sea of Monsters to America, with some help from our mom but mostly just by us working together. One day Hylla and I encountered some girls- well not girls really. More like women. They called themselves the Amazons."

"Hazel and Frank told me about them!" Leo exclaimed suddenly, excited to know something about what Reyna was talking about.

"Yes... Percy and them went and found Hylla for me, but that's a different story." Reyna's eyes were sad as they talked. "Hylla joined the Amazons. She loved what they were, what they stood for... Back at Circe's Island we mistreated men, turned them into guinea pigs. Hylla was older than me, she had understood it more than I did. She thought it was right. As I grew up... I didn't. The Amazons keep men as sort of.. pet's. I didn't want to stay with them so Hylla and I seperated." Reyna turned to look at Leo, right in the eyes and there was something fragile about her in that moment. "I kept thinking I had done something wrong, that Hylla had taken the first opportunity she could to leave me. We had argued a lot but I thought that was normal, I mean sisters argue all the time. But Hylla left and then I was on my own."

"She left you to make your way across America until you found somewhere you wanted to stay?" Leo asked, surprised at the slight anger Reyna's words inspired in him.

Reyna frowned at him, her eyes flashing with something he couldn't identify it was gone so fast. "when you put it like that it seems cruel, but it wasn't that bad. I could fend for myself, I wasn't that young. Eventually I made it to Camp Jupiter. I was accepted in the 2nd Cohort and made my way up to be Praetor with Jason. I made it, by myself. I made my way in life and it's a good place. Hylla and I even talk now and we're a lot closer than we have been in years. I'm happy with my life."

Leo looked at her, slightly in awe. "Reyna, what you did... you're kind of amazing."

Was he mistaken or was that a blush that made it's way on her cheeks. She cleared her throat. "Yeah, well... what I'm trying to say is that I've been alone too. Until Jason I had no one. That's probably why..." This time when she trailed off she definitely did blush and Leo knew what she was thinking.

"It's why you don't like Piper isn't it? Because she's dating Jason."

"For the longest time Jason was my best friend, not unlike how Annabeth felt about Percy. But in the end... Jason didn't feel what I felt for him. He didn't like me like Percy liked Annabeth. Then I met Percy and he had no memories and I thought... well. I liked him too, but mostly I think I was just looking for someone to fill the place Jason used to have in my heart." Reyna was rushing her words, like she was scared Leo would try and stop her, or laugh at her.

"My love-life isn't exactly great at the moment either. I mean... all the girls I like are either Artemis's Hunters or way out of my league. No girl wants a grease monkey who uses jokes all the time as their boyfriend." Leo shrugged, trying to act like he didn't care but he couldn't meet Reyna's eyes and it seemed like Reyna saw through his act.

She shrugged. "When I first saw you I thought you looked pretty good. Besides, lot's of girls like your jokes. Me included."

Leo smiled at her. "Thanks." And then, because he just couldn't stop there and Leo's ADHD really hated him, he went and blurted out, "When I first saw you I thought you were hot."

Reyna looked at him in surprise before a smile slowly formed on her face. A real smile, not one of those one's she put on in front of her Senate. Leo decided he liked this one much more.

He felt a blush make it's way on his cheeks. He shrugged, trying to brush off his embarrassment. "I mean.. what I meant was... oh I give up. I meant you were hot, like I said."

When he looked up nervously to meet her eyes he saw her staring at him and her eyes just looked so happy. And warm. They looked warm, something Leo hadn't seen since his mom died.

"Leo-" she said, and her voice was shaking slightly. It was endearing and Leo could see her glance at his lips and then back at his eyes.

Suddenly Reyna was too close to him and Leo's heart was racing too fast and he could see every little detail of her face. He couldn't seem to look away from her lips and he impulsively just wanted to kiss them, feel them against his own and Leo didn't know what made him do it but he cut her off by slowly pressing his lips to hers.

At first he was afraid that she would pull away or slap him. Or maybe pull away and slap him. Mostly he was just afraid she would pull away and he would lose this wonderful feeling of her soft lips pressed to his.

But then she surprised him and maybe even surprised herself, by pushing closer to him moving her lips in a perfect dance with his and Leo would swear later that he had never felt so happy then that moment. Reyna deepened the kiss and Leo hesitantly put his hands on her waist before she put her arms around his neck.

It was Leo's first kiss. Well, his first kiss with someone who wasn't in his family actually. It was Leo's first kiss... and it was amazing.

For second he forgot everything except this amazing girl who was sitting right beside him, with her kips touching his, and Leo knew that Elysium or even the Isles of the Blessed, would be nothing compared to this.

Reyna pulled away first and Leo grinned at her nervously, trying to expel the worry in him. If Reyna wanted to hit him ore reject him, now would be the time.

But she did something so unlike her that Leo had to laugh.

Reyna giggled.

Not some high pitched girly girl giggle, more of a giggle chuckle. Maybe a chiggle.

Reyna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them she was calm and relaxed. "That was nice.

Leo smiled at her, more confidently this time. "It was."

Reyna's eyes shot to his lips again. When she met his eyes hers were shy but determined. "Let's do it again."

Leo would have answered as Reyna's lips slowly touched his again, but he had never been known as a multi-tasker.

**oooOOOooo**

**Yay! Leyna! I really see this couple working out. I mean, when you think about it they have so much in common and Leo would be really good for Reyna and vice versa. Besides, Hazel has Frank, and they deserve to be happy together. Leo deserves to be happy with someone else :) I'm quite proud of this fic and did it on the request of MetalGod14 so I hope you like it! I think I'll be writing more Leyna in the future as we see both characters more in more books. **

**Now. On to more pressing topics.**

**_OHMYGODS!_**** I read the first chapter of House of Hades and Rick Riordan... I seriously hate and love him. It was amazing! Following Rick's usual pattern of hinting at some big quest/task (Hazel's this time) and FEELS FEELS FEELS of Percy and Annabeth. Okay maybe not... but they are mentioned and Hazel mentions Percy and how worried she is... Oh gods, it was like I read the Tartarus scence all over again for the first time. So. Many. Emotions. It met expectations and now I would kill for more of the book. I did not get the Son of Sobek so I read it on the internet, here's the link below if you wanna read it. Just warning you, it will make you want the rest of the book even more.**

**Link: s/9413202/1/Official-First-Chapter-of-The-House-of -Hades**

**Review? Please? Please, PLEASE, please?**

**Love you all! **

**Percyjacksonfan3**


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